Gasket with integral channel and port seal

ABSTRACT

A novel gasket is provided for filling the space between two mating surfaces on components in an automotive transmission. The gasket includes one or more patches of silicone integrated into a portion of the gasket for providing one or more channels through the gasket, having leak proof seals at the ends of the channel. Bolt passage holes are spaced in the gasket to register with corresponding bolt holes in the mating surfaces. A channel aperture passes through the portion of the gasket augmented with the silicone patch, providing a channel between the mating surfaces. The ends of the channel define leak proof seals between the gasket and the mating surfaces for providing a leak proof fluid flow channel between the mating surfaces.

[0001] This application is a continuation application of co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 09/295,682 filed Apr. 21, 1999.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to gaskets for inserting betweentwo mating surfaces for padding and/or filling spaces such asmanufacturing tolerances in the surfaces and/or preventing intimatecontact between the two mating surfaces. The present invention moreparticularly relates to gaskets for inserting between two matingsurfaces wherein the gasket has integrated therein a channel whichpermits communication between the two mating surfaces.

[0004] 2. Prior Art

[0005] Gaskets are often used for filling in space and/or for paddingbetween two mating surfaces. It is normal that the spaces between twomating surfaces are products of manufacturing tolerances and/oracceptable defects in the mating surfaces of the components fittedtogether and/or the potential space between the two mating surfaceswhere there is a different coefficient of thermal expansion between thematerials fabricating the surfaces on the two components that are mated.In addition, some gaskets are used to form seals between two matingsurfaces for preventing leakage between the mating surfaces.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,733 to Hartz, issued in April 1984, teaches aspacer which forms a gasket between two surfaces where the spacer isfabricated from a special, elastomeric material, having a coefficient ofthermal expansion exceeding the coefficient of thermal expansion of thematerial forming the components separated by the spacer. U.S. Pat. No.4,580,794 to Gibbons, issued in April 1986 teaches a joining and sealinggasket fabricated from special, heat cured silicone rubber with specificrubber composition, for filling a space between two surfaces. U.S. Pat.No. 5,156,539 to Anderson et al, issued in October 1992 teaches a gasketdefined as a floating seal specifically for a scroll machine, forhermetically sealing the exterior shell of the scroll machine to preventleakage of fluid under pressure. The Hartz '733 patent and the Gibbons'794 patent each teach a spacer that provides a full seal between twomating surfaces. The spacer taught in both of these patents arefabricated from specific, expensive materials and are expensive tomanufacture. The Anderson et al teaching in the '539 patent provides acomplex, speciality floating seal, designed specifically for use in aparticular machine, a scroll machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention provides a printed gasket for filling ingaps and space between two mating surfaces, which gaps and/or spaces aredefined by manufacturing tolerances and/or surfaces blemishes in themating surfaces. The gasket member includes one or more centrallylocated apertures for passing connector means, such as threaded bolts orscrews, for example, through the gasket for securing and holding thecomponents in a mating condition about the gasket. Integrated into aportion of the gasket member is a silicone blanket or patch whichaugments the thickness of the gasket member. At least one channel means,defined by an aperture passing through the augmented portion of thegasket member is provided. The augmented portion of the gasket memberfurther defines a seal means, at each end of the channel means,providing a leak proof seal between the channel means and the inlet andoutlet port means in the mating surfaces, when the inlet and outlet portmeans in the mating surfaces are in registration with each other andwith the channel means, for forming leak proof seals about the channelmeans ends and the inlet port means and the outlet port means in themating surfaces. The present invention provides a gasket for fillingspace between two mating surfaces with silicone patches integrated intothe gasket and at least one aperture extending through the augmentedportion of the gasket, providing a leak proof channel and end seals forproviding leak proof fluid flow between the outlet port means in onemating surface and inlet port means in the other mating surface, formaintaining a leak proof fluid flow between the two mated surfaces.

[0008] The present invention is especially useful for inserting betweena center support member and a hub member on a transmission of a motorvehicle. Preferably, the gasket is a circular member having spaced innerand outer circumferences with the width between the two circumferencessubstantially two to three times the length of the diameter of boltholes in the gasket, for passing coupling bolts between the centersupport member and the hub member through the gasket. The bolt holes inthe gasket member, are spaced to register with the bolt holes in themating surfaces of the center support member and the hub member.Preferably, the material from which the gasket member is fabricated isgasket material identified as Armstrong NV519, marketed by the ArmstrongCorporation, the gasket material having about 0.0085 inches thickness.However, other gasket material may be used, if desired. In registrationwith flow ports in the mating surfaces of the center support member andthe hub member, is a channel aperture in the gasket member. Integratedinto the gasket member and surrounding the channel aperture is a polymerbead or patch, such as silicone, for example. The portion of the gasketcovered by the silicone patch increases the thickness of the body of thegasket and the length of the channel aperture in the gasket member, byapproximately 0.004 inches to 0.008 inches. When the channel aperture inthe gasket member is in registration with the outlet port in one matingsurface and the inlet port in the other mating surface, a channel forthe flow of fluid is provided between the outlet and inlet ports of thetwo mated surfaces. Augmented by the polymer patch integrated into thegasket, seals are provided at the ends of the channel aperture forsealing the gasket to the mating surfaces about the inlet and outletports, respectively, for providing a leak proof channel between the twomating surfaces with leak proof seals between the channel ends and theports in the mating surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a representation of the invention;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the invention, represented inFIG. 1, along lines 2-2;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the invention, represented inFIG. 1, along lines 3-3;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a representation of the invention, represented in FIG.1, used between a center support and a hub, shown in exploded view; and

[0013]FIG. 5 is an end view of the inside end of the hub represented inFIG. 4, shown along the lines 5-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Throughout the drawings identical parts and/or components areidentified with identical call out numbers and/or letters. FIG. 1represents an annular form of the invention with outer circumference 11and inner circumference 12 defining the width of the gasket 10. Theapertures 14 a, 14 b and 14 c represent connector means or bolt holes inthe body of the gasket, which holes register with the holt holes in thesurface of the respective mating surfaces, more clearly represented inFIGS. 4 and 5. A cross section view of the body of the gasket 10, alonglines 2-2 is represented in FIG. 2. The thickness of the body, asbetween the arrows 15 a and 15 b, is substantially uniform through thebody of the gasket except for the augmented portion of the gasket,around the channel apertures 20 a, 20 b and 20 c. Each channel aperture20 a, 20 b and 20 c, in the body of the gasket 10 is auglnented by abead or patch of a polymer material 21, such as silicone, for example.FIG. 3 represents a cross section of the gasket body 15 a-15 b,augmented with the silicone patch 21 a-21 b, surrounding the channelaperture 20′a. The periphery, or surface, at each end of the channelaperture, at 22 a and 22 b, for example, becomes a seal between thegasket and the juxapositioned surface when the gasket is compressedbetween two mating surfaces.

[0015] The bolt holes 14 a, 14 b and 14 c, or more or fewer thanrepresented, are centrally located in the gasket, with the center of therespective holes substantially centered between the inner circumferenceand the outer circumference. The arcuate position of the respectiveholes is such that the bolt holes in the gasket align or register withthe bolt holes or connector holes in the mating surfaces, which registerwith corresponding holes in both mating surfaces. This permitsunobstructed passage through the gasket for the connector means from onesurface to the other surface to connect or couple the surfaces in matingcondition.

[0016]FIGS. 4 and 5 represent components of a motor vehicletransmission, such as a center support 40 and a hub 42. The centersupport has a recessed surface 41 into which the base end 44 of the hubnests so that the recessed surface 41 of the center support and thesurface 45 of the base end of the hub, mate. This is a typical use for agasket.

[0017] The gasket 10′ seats into the recess of the center support on thesurface 41 and is aligned rotationally so that the bolt holes 14′a, 14′band 14′c register with the bolt holes or connector holes 46 a, 46 b and46 c, respectively. The hub is seated over the gasket and alignedrotationally so that the bolt holes or connector means holes 47 a, 47 band 47 c register with corresponding bolt holes 46 a, 46 b and 46 c inthe center support. The channel and seal ports 20′a, 20′b and 20′c ingasket 10′ align with the fluid flow ports 50 a, 50 b and 50 c in thesurface 45 of the hub 42 while the fluid flow ports 52 a, 52 b and 52 cin the center support 40 align with the channel and seal ports 20′a,20′b and 20′c in the gasket, providing individual channels for fluidflow, through the gasket, between the two mating surfaces, with sealsbetween the gasket and the contacting surfaces.

[0018] It is apparent that the gasket 10′ represented in FIG. 4 isfabricated so that the bolt holes in the gasket are in registration withthe bolt holes or connector holes in the surface of the center support40 and that the connector holes in the center support 40 are positionedso as to register with the connector holes in the hub 42. Also, thefluid flow ports 52 a, 52 b and 52 c in the surface of the centersupport and the fluid flow ports 50 a, 50 b and 50 c in the surface ofthe hub end are positioned to register with each other respectively.Also, the channel and port seals 20′a, 20′b and 20′c are fabricated inthe gasket 10′ to register or align with the corresponding fluid flowports 50 a, 50 b and 50 c and 52 a, 52 b and 52 c, in the matingsurfaces. When the center support and hub are connected or coupled withthe gasket 10′ in between, as represemed in FIG. 4, the inventionprovides a gasket for filling space between the mating surfaces with achannel for each of the registered fluid flow ports in the matingsurfaces and seals for each of the fluid flow ports in the matingsurfaces, providing leak proof sealing and leak proof channels for themating surfaces.

[0019] A threaded bolt 55 is represented in FIG. 4 and represents anyconnector means that may be used to hold the center support, the gasketand the hub connected and in registration. Although a particular use ofthe invention is represented in FIGS. 4 and 5, the principles of theinvention are not limited to the particular use and extend to uses withother mating components and/or mating surfaces where there is fluidcommunication between mating surfaces. Compression of the gasket betweenthe two mating surfaces provides leak proof sealing by channel apertureend seals between the fluid flow ports in both mating surfaces and thegasket channel aperture ends, such as at 22 a and 22 b at the ends ofthe channel aperture 20′a, represented in FIG. 3.

[0020] In the forgoing description of the invention, referenced to thedrawings, certain terms have been used for conciseness, clarity andcomprehension. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be impliedfrom or because of the terms used, beyond the requirements of the priorart, because such terms are used for description purposes and areintended to be broadly construed. Furthermore, the description andillustration of the invention are by way of example, and the scope ofthe invention is not limited to the exact details shown, represented ordescribed.

[0021] Having now described a preferred embodiment of the invention, interms of features, discoveries and principles changes that may becomeapparent to those skilled in the art may be made, without departing fromthe scope of the invention defined ha the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A gasket for filling in space between matingsurfaces of a center support member and a hub member in an automotivetransmission comprising: a) A gasket body means for seating in anestable portion of said center support member and having a firstplurality of openings in registration with a second plurality ofopenings in said center support member; b) a polymer patch meansintegral with a portion of said gasket body means and in generalalignment with at least one opening of said second plurality ofopenings, said polymer patch means and said gasket body means having achannel aperture passing therethrough, said channel aperture having afirst end and a second end, said first end being in registration withsaid at least one opening; and c) said first end defining a first sealmeans and said second end defining a second seal means, said first sealmeans for providing a leak proof seal between said at least one openingand said first end of said channel aperture.
 2. A gasket for fillingspace between mating surfaces as in claim 1 wherein said polymer patchmeans is a silicone patch.
 3. A gasket for filling space between matingsurfaces as in claim 1 wherein said hub member includes a thirdplurality of openings in registration with said second plurality ofopenings and one opening of said plurality of openings is inregistration with said second end of said channel aperture.
 4. A gasketfor filling space between mating surfaces as in claim 3 wherein saidsecond seal means provides a leak proof seal between said one opening ofsaid third plurality of openings and said second end of said channelaperture.
 5. A gasket for filling space between mating surfaces as inclaim 1 wherein said gasket body means has a thickness of about 0.0085inches.
 6. A gasket for filling space between mating surfaces as inclaim 5 wherein said polymer patch means in from 0.004 inches to 0.008inches in thickness.
 7. A gasket for filling space between matingsurfaces as in claim 6 wherein said polymer patch means is a siliconepatch.
 8. A gasket for filling space between mating surfaces as in claim1 wherein said gasket body means is fabricated from Armstrong NV519gasket material.
 9. A gasket for filling space between mating surfacesas in claim 8 wherein said polymer patch means is a silicone patch. 10.A gasket for filling space between mating surfaces as in claim 8 whereinsaid Armstrong NV519 gasket material has a thickness of about 0.0085inches
 11. For a vehicle transmission having a first component with afirst mating surface and a second component with a second matingsurface, a gasket for filling gaps and spaces between said first andsecond mating surfaces comprising: a) a gasket body fabricated fromgasket material having opposed parallel surfaces for contacting said twomating surfaces; b) a plurality of openings in said gasket body capableof being registered with corresponding openings in said first and secondmating surfaces; c) a plurality of channel apertures in said gasket bodycapable of being registered with corresponding channel apertures in thefirst and second mating surfaces; d) at least one polymer patch integralwith said gasket body and surrounding said channel apertures, said atleast one polymer patch forming a seal between said gasket body and thefirst and said second mating surfaces such that fluid can flow from oneof the mating surfaces to the other of the mating surfaces through saidgasket body without leaking; e) said two opposed parallel surfaces beingplanar except in the area of said at least one polymer patch.
 12. Thegasket of claim 11 wherein said at least one polymer patch is a siliconepatch.
 13. The gasket of claim 11 wherein said gasket material has athickness of about 0.0085 inches.